8, 17alpha, 21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3, 20-dione and esters thereof



United States Patent 8,17a,21-TRIHYDROXY-4-PREGNENE-3,20-DIONE AND ESTERS "marmos- Herbert c. Murray, Hickory Corners, and Darcy 11. Peterson, Kalamazoo, ch., assignors to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Mich a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Application July 1, 1952, Serial No. 296,734

12 Claims. (Cl. 260-39745) This invention relates to novel steroids and a process for their production. More particularly it relates to 8,17,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,ZO-dione and esters thereof. An object of this invention .is to obtain 8,17a,21-.

trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione and esters thereof having both pharmacological and chemical utihty.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our applications Serial Number 272,944, filed February 23,

1952, now Patent 2,602,769, issued July 8, 1952, and

Serial Number 292,724, filed June 10, 1952, now abandoned.

The novel compounds of the present invention may be represented by the following structufal formula:

CHIOR I CH8 wherein R is hydrogen or the acid radical of a carboxylic acid containing from one to eight carbon atoms inclusively and selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acids and carbocyclic acids.

The following examples are illustrative of the processes and products of this invention and are not to be construed as limiting.

EXAMPLE 1.8,17u,21-mmYnnoxY-4-mmoNnNa-3,20-

- moms ed for 24 hours at a temperature of 28 degrees centigrade using a rate of aeration and stirring such that the oxygen uptake was 6.3 to 7 millimoles per hour per liter of NazSOa according to the method of Cooper, Femstrom and Miller, Ind. Eng. Chem., 36, 504 (1944). To this medium containing a 24 hour growth of Helicostylum piriforme was added two grams of compound S, l7a,2l-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20dione, in a minimum of ethanol to provide asuspension of the. steroid in the culture. After an additional 2A-hour period of incubation under the same conditions of temperature and aeration, the beer and mycelium were extracted. The mycelium was filtered, washed twice, each time with a volume of acetone approximately equal to the volume of the mycelium, and extracted twice, each time with a volume of methylene chloride approximately equal to the volume of the mycelium. The acetone and methylene chloride extracts including solvent were added to the beer filtrate.

The mixed extracts and beer filtrate were extracted successively with two one-half by volume portions of methylene chloride and then with two one-fourth by volume portions of methylene chloride. The combined methylene chloride extracts were washed with two one-tenth by 2,703,806 Patented Mar. 8, 1955 'volume portions of a two percent aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and then with two one-tenth by volume port1ons of water. After drying the methylene chloride extracts with about three to five grams of anhydrous sodium sulfate per liter of solvent and filtering, the solvent was removed by distillation. The residue was dissolved in a minimum of methylene chloride, filtered and the solvent then evaporated. The resulting crude crystals were dried and then washed five times with five-milliliter portions of ether per gram of. crude crystals, yielding 5.354 grams of residue. The residue was dissolved in ten milliliters of ethylene dichloride and chromatographed over 350 grams of Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate using SSO-milliliter portions of developmg solvent fractions as indicated in Table I.

TABLE I 'icg Hdtcodulum plrtforme Fraction Solvent dichloride wit bnv-n- PHIIIHH an ab ssssessssasssssse GIOOOO GOOOGIOOOO OQUOQQOI Eluate fractions 18 and 19, freed of solvent, were washed twice with five milliliters of equal parts of methanol and acetone leaving a residue of 63 milligrams. Recrystallization twice from three-milliliter portions of methanol produced crystals of 8,17e,2l-trihydroxy-4- pregnene-3,20-dione, melting point 248 to 252 degrees centlgrade, [(11 of plus 107 degrees (0.946 in dioxane). The mother liquors of fractions 18 and 19 were combined with fractions 17 and 20 and rechromatographed over Florisil synthetic magnesium silicate to give an additional 114.3 milligrams of this compound.

Analysis.-Calculated for CmHaoOs: C, 69.58; H, 8.34. Found: C, 69.46; H, 8.46

In the novel process for the production of esters of 8,17,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione the starting 8,17a.,21-trihydr0XY-4-pregnene-3,20-dione is admixed with an acylating agent such as, for example, ketene, a ketene of a selected acid, an acid, acid chloride or acid anhydride, or other known acylating agent, usually in a solvent such as, for example, pyridine or the like, or an inert solvent, including solvents like benzene, toluene, ether, and the like, for example, and heated at a temperature between about zero. degrees centigrade and the boiling point of the reaction mixture, usually about room temperature, for a period of between about a half hour and about 96 hours. The time of reaction as well as the temperature at which the reaction is carried out, the acylating agent, and the ratio of reactants may be varied. The reaction mixture is suitably poured into ice or cold water, the product collected in an appropriate solvent which is thereafter washed with successive portions of a mildly basic solution and water to obtain a solution which is essentially neutral.

In some instances, the product may crystallize from the reaction mixture, in which case it may be advantageous to separate the product by filtration or other means, wash with water, and thereafter purify by conventional means, such as, for example, by recrystallization from a deemed necessary.

Emma Z21-ACB1OXY-8,l7n-DIBYDROXY-4-PIBONBNB- 3,20-Drona In a mixture of two milliliters of acetic anhydride and one milliliter of absolute pyridine, there was dissolved 30.6 ga ns of 8,l7n,2l-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20- dione. 36 hours at room tem rature, the solution was diluted with fifty milliliters ice water and extracted three times with thirty milliliter portions of ether. The ether extract was washed with ten milliliter rtions, twice with five percent sodium hydroxide and our times with water, dried over anhydrous sod um sulfate, filtered, and evaporated to produce 34:5 m ll grams of crystals. Two recrystallizations from one milliliter portions of acetone produced 10.2 milligrams of -21-acetoxy- 8,17a-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-d1one. trum and microanalysis corroborated the structure.

Analysis.Calculated for CasHnOs: C, 68.29; H, 7.98. Found: C, 68.18; H, 8.24.

EXAMPLE 3.Z1-PROPlON'YLOXY-8,l7a-DlHYDROXY-4- PREGNBNE-3,20-DIONB Following the procedure of Example 2 using the equivalent proportion of prop1o mc anhydnde in place of acetic anhydride and separatmg by chromatography roduced 21-propionyloxy-8,l7-drhydroxy-4-pregnene- ,ZO-dione.

EXAMPLE 4.21-nmammcaroxY-8,17-nnrYnaoxY-4- PRBONENB-3,20-D1ONB To one gram of 8,l7,21-trihydroxy-4-pre gnene-3,2Q- dione dissolved in ten milliliters of freshly pyridine was added dropwise 300 milligrams of tr1rnethylacetyl chloride. The reaction mixture was mamtamedat room tem rature for 24 hours and then quenched with 150 milliliters of ice-cold water. Extraction and chromatographic separation, as in Example 1, produced 21-trimethylacetoxy-8,l7a-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-d1one.

EXAMPLE 5.-21-p-cvcLornN'rvLraomoNYnoxY-8,17a- DIHYDROXY-4-PREGNENE-3,20-DIONB Following the procedure of Example 4, using the uivalent of p-cyclopentylpropionyl chloride in place 3? trimethylacetyl chloride produced 2l-p-cyclopentylpropionyloxy-8,17e-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-d1one. 7

EXAMPLE 6.21-BBNZOXY-8,17u-DlHYDROXY-4-PRMNBNB-' 3,20-Drona Followm' g the procedure of Example 4 using the equivalent of benzoyl chloride in lace of trimethylacetyl chloride produced Zl-benzoxy- ,l7a-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione.

In a similar manner, other esters of 8,17,21 -trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione are prepared according to acylation procedures. Representative esters of 8,17a,21- trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione thus-prepared include one to eight carbon atom carboxylrc acid acyloxy esters of saturated or unsaturated, ali hatic, carbocyclrc, or cycloaliphan'c, aryl, arylalkyl, l, mono, di or polycarboxylic acids which form ester groups such as, for example, formyloxy, acetoxy, propionyloxy, dimethylacetoxy, trimethylacetoxy, butyrloxy, valeryloxy, hexanoyloxy, heptanoyloxy, octanoyloxy, benzoxy, Iphenylacetoxy, toluoyloxy, naphthoyloxy, cyclopenty ormyloxy, p-cyclopentylpropionyloxy, acrylyloxy, cyclohexylformyloxy, the half and di-esters of malonrc, maleic, suecinic, glutaric and adipic acids, and the like. The acids may also contain non-interfering substituents, such as mono oiilfoly halo, chloro, bromo, hydroxy, methoxy, and the e, if desired.

Infrared spec- I pletely saturated with hydrogen to yield the known 21- acyloxypregnane-3,20-dionc which can then be converted to desoxycorticosterone acetate by methods known in the art, i. .e., bromination at the 4-position followed by dehydrobromination with pyridine to establish the 4(5) double bond.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of operation or exact compounds shown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An 8,17a,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione ester of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid containing less than nine carbon atoms.

2. A compound selected from the group consisting of 8,17,2l-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione and 8,17a,21- trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione esters of hydrocarbon carboxylic acids containing less than nine carbon atoms.

3. 2l-acetoxy-8,17a-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione.

4. 21 propionyloxy 8,17a dihydroxy 4 pregnene 3,20-dione.

5. 21 trimethylacetoxy 8,17a dihydroxy 4 pregnene 3,20 dione.

6. 21 p cyclopentylpropionyloxy 8,17 dihydroxy 4 pregnene 3,20 dione.

7. 8,17a,2l-tnhydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione.

8. A process for the production of an 8,17,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione ester comprising reacting 8,17,2l-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione with an organic acylating agent containing less than nine carbon atoms.

9. A process for the production of 21-acetoxy-8,17edihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione comprising reacting 8,17a,2l-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,ZO-dione with acetic anhydride.

10. A process for the production of ZI-propionyloxy- 8,17a-dihydroxy-4-pregncne-3,20-dione comprising reacting 8,l7n,2l-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione with propionic anhydride.

11. A process for the production of 2l-trimethylacetoxy-8,17a-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione comprising reacting 8,17a,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-diono with trimethxlacetyl chloride.

12. process for the production of 21 fl cyclopentylpropionyloxy 8,l7 dihydroxy 4 pregnene 3,20 dione comprising reacting 8,17a,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-d1one with fi-cyclopentylpropionyl chloride.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN 8,17A,21-TRIHYDROXY-4-PREGNENE-3,20-DIONE ESTER OF A HYDROCARBON CARBOXYLIC ACID CONTAINING LESS THAN NINE CARBON ATOMS. 